Planting Our Roots

The steel fabricated at Walters Inc.'s plants in Hamilton, Ontario is used in major construction projects throughout North America, including the Bow Centre in Calgary.

HAMILTON (May 8, 2013) ­ One of North America’s leading steel fabricators has joined forces with Mohawk College to get ahead of a looming skills shortage and give students a unique opportunity to learn and earn.

Walters Inc. and Mohawk have launched a two-semester Mechanical Techniques Welding and Fabrication certificate program. The inaugural class of 11 students work paid shifts Thurdays and Fridays at Walters’ new plant in Stoney Creek doing structural steel fitting. When not working at Walters, students take classes at Mohawk’s skilled trades campus and learn a combination of level one apprenticeship training along with courses in health and safety, professional practice, trade math, quality systems and communication

“We approached Mohawk College about joining forces to help our company get ahead of a growing skills shortage in a critical area of our business,” says Walters Inc. Human Resources Manager Marty Verhey. “Together, we're training people for in-demand jobs as welders and fitters and our company gets a great opportunity to assess the talent of potential future employees.”

Fitters use blueprints and architectural drawings to lay out, prepare, assemble and weld structural steel for shipping to construction sites. Walters Inc. employs approximately 70 welders and fitters at its two plants in Hamilton. The Bow Centre in Calgary ­ Western Canada’s tallest building -- and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights are among the projects Walters Inc. has worked on across North America.

“Staying responsiveness to the needs of employers and industry trends is one of our greatest strengths,” says Mohawk Vice President Academic Cheryl Jensen. “Our new program builds on a long-standing partnership and gives students a unique opportunity to gain both skills and hands-on experience for rewarding careers in the skilled trades.”

Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Hamilton, award-winning Walters Inc. employs more than 300 people and fabricates and erects structural steel throughout Canada and the United States.

Mohawk College serves more than 16,000 students and apprentices and is recognized as a leader in health, technology and skilled trades training and education. Mohawk is one of the largest apprenticeship trainers in Ontario.

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For more information about the Mohawk ­ Walters Inc. partnership and the new Mechanical Techniques Welding and Fabricating program: